Spire Helps Build 400th Habitat for Humanity Home in St. Louis

Volunteers will help frame walls, windows and doors on homes in La Saison neighborhood.

ST. LOUIS, August 17, 2018 — Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis (HFHSL) will host 20 volunteers each day from Spire, Monday, August 20th through Friday, August 24th. The volunteers will frame walls, windows and doors of five new houses that will be built in the La Saison neighborhood. They will complete the framing for one house each day, including the 400th Habitat for Humanity home in St. Louis.

Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis was selected as the builder of choice for the final 10 lots of the La Saison development. These lots are the only remaining undeveloped sites in the project. Phase One includes these five houses; two will be built to universal design standards, with all being built to net-zero ready energy efficiency standards, a common practice of Habitat’s to ensure long-term sustainability for new buyers.

This build is the first time HFHSL has partnered with the St. Louis Housing Authority to create affordable home ownership opportunities for first-time homebuyers in St. Louis.

The project is supported with Trust Fund dollars from the Affordable Housing Commission of the City of St. Louis, as well as funding from the St. Louis Housing Authority. “The Housing Authority is excited to have new investment partners contributing to the housing development in the neighborhood,” said Cheryl Lovell, SLHA Executive Director.

This is a joint investment of over $2 million in affordable housing just south of downtown in an area just adjacent to LaSalle Park and Lafayette Square.

The new homes will be 3-4 bedroom, 2-bath, two-story buildings with garages that complement the neighborhood. HFHSL anticipates Phase One will be completed in early 2019.

Spire is HFHSL’s Keystone Partner for the 400th house. Spire volunteers will work from the parking lot at Peabody Elementary School at 1224 South 14th Street (63104) from 8:30 am -2:30 pm each day.

About Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis

Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis (HFHSL) is a not-for-profit, ecumenical housing ministry working in partnership with individuals and communities of all faiths to improve housing conditions and provide safe, decent and affordable housing in St. Louis City and County. With nearly 400 homes already built or rehabbed, HFHSL is one of the leading housing developers in St. Louis. HFHSL will begin building its 400th house late summer. HFHSL regularly ranks among the top Habitat for Humanity affiliates in the country. HFHSL donors, volunteers, and partner families work side-by-side to build or rehab homes ensuring that every deserving family in St. Louis has a decent place to live. Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis: Building Homes, Building Hope, Building St. Louis. For more information, visit: www.habitatstl.org.

About Spire

At Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR) we believe energy exists to help make people’s lives better. It’s a simple idea, but one that’s at the heart of our company. Every day we serve 1.7 million homes and businesses making us the fifth largest publicly traded natural gas company in the country. We help families and business owners fuel their daily lives through our gas utilities serving Alabama, Mississippi and Missouri. Our non-utility operations include Spire Marketing, which provides natural gas marketing and related services. We are committed to transforming our business and pursuing growth through 1) growing organically, 2) investing in infrastructure, 3) acquiring and integrating, and 4) innovation and technology. Learn more at SpireEnergy.com.

About The St. Louis Housing Authority

The St. Louis Housing Authority is a federally funded agency, operating independently of city government. The agency, with its 61 employees, helps provide low and moderate-income public housing for more than 24,000 residents and clients in the City of St. Louis, and, through partner programs, offer residents opportunities to improve their lives. www.slha.org

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More on the Need for Affordable Housing and Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis:

Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis receives 5,000 calls each year from people living in substandard housing who inquire about eligibility for Habitat’s home buying program. In 2016, more than 800 individuals or couples living in St. Louis City or County for at least one year, making within 25-50% of the area median income, and living in substandard housing requested a pre-screen application to begin the process of applying to the program.

In addition to a down payment and a 30-year affordable mortgage, each HFHSL homebuyer invests 350 sweat-equity volunteer hours into building or rehabbing a home and attending life skills classes. Homeowners are teachers, healthcare providers and returning college students determined to achieve homeownership and create a legacy for their families.